Area of Application of the Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement (SIOFA): management, conservation and control measures

PURPOSE: to lay down provisions concerning management, conservation and control measures relating to fishing in the Area covered under the Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement (SIOFA).

PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council.

BACKGROUND: pursuant to Council Decision 2008/780/EC, the Union approved the Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement (SIOFA). The SIOFA is the regional fisheries management organisation (RFMO) responsible for managing fishery resources in the SIOFA’s Area of Application.

The Meeting of the Parties of SIOFA adopts conservation and management measures (CMMs) that are binding on the Union as a Contracting Party. The proposed Regulation implements into Union law the CMMs adopted between 2016 and 2024 and replaces a past proposal, which was never adopted.

CONTENT: This proposal aims to implement the SIOFA measures that are binding on the Contracting Parties, Participating Fishing Entities and Cooperating non-Contracting Parties (together known as CCPs). It aims to ensure that the EU can: (i) implement measures that benefit the EU fleet; (ii) ensure a level playing field for operators; and (iii) further support the long-term sustainable management of stocks in a timely manner.

The proposal:

- deals with bottom-fishing measures, including: (i) effort limitations and general measures; (ii) measures designed to protect vulnerable marine ecosystems in the SIOFA’s Area of Application; (iii) scientific observer coverage; and (iv) new and exploratory fisheries;

- lays down measures to protect marine species, including: (i) prohibiting largescale pelagic driftnets and deepwater gillnets; (ii) prohibiting targeting some species of deepsea sharks and managing their catches; and (iii) mitigating seabird bycatch;

- sets out monitoring and control measures, including rules on: (i) a vessel monitoring system; (ii) entry-exit reports; (iii) fishing-vessel documents and marking; (iv) the retrieval of abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear; (v) the discharge of plastics; and (vi) monitoring sea transhipments and transfers in port and related reporting. The proposal also includes labelling rules for frozen products of fishery resources and requirements for scientific observer programmes;

- sets out rules on the control of third-country vessels in Member State ports and in the high seas: (i) sightings and identification of vessels that are not of the SIOFA Contracting Parties, Participating Fishing Entities or Cooperating Non-Contracting Parties (non-CCP) vessels; and (ii) port measures and inspections;

- deals with enforcement, including: (i) high seas boarding and inspection, including the definition of serious violations and related enforcement; and (ii) illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing;

- covers data collection and reporting, provision of scientific observer data and other reporting.

The proposal also provides for the granting of delegated powers to the Commission in order to rapidly implement the SIOFA rules with regard to:

- the information required for vessel authorisations;

- changes to type of fishing or fishing gear;

- number of catch/recovery of vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs) indicator units and distances within which to cease bottom fishing where evidence of a VME is encountered above threshold levels during fishing operations;

- scientific observer coverage for bottom fishing and introduction of an electronic observer programme;

- measures for the toothfish fisheries in the Del Cano Rise, Williams Ridge and South Indian Ridge areas;

- changes to the annexes to this proposal.